1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to medical image analysis, and more particularly to a system and method for an interactive skeletal atlas from volume data.
2. Discussion of Related Art
With the development of multi-slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanners, Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) methods have been developed to provide functionalities that make the reading of the volume data more convenient and effective.
An example of anatomy of interest is the thoracic cage including the complete lung area and a portion of the lower abdomen. The thoracic cage provides mechanical support and protection to the chest cavity that contain important organs. Further, the ribs and vertebras are also prone to diseases. There are physically disabling diseases such as osteoporosis and spine stenosis that affect millions of people; Ribs and vertebras are also common sites of metastasis, the detection of which will completely change the cancer staging and treatment of a patient.
The thoracic cage is composed of pairs of ribs, the spine and the sternum. The rib and vertebra structures are highly ordered and symmetrical, and we observed that each pair of ribs roughly forms a plane. The shapes and structures of the thoracic cage are highly complex and variant, making observation through the 2-dimensional (2D) axial slices difficult. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A-B, the rib planes make large angle with the axial plane, and the physician can only see cross-sections of the ribs in the axial plane. It is difficult for the physicians to know which rib has the observed pathology, and rib counting is a tedious job. The complexity of the vertebra makes it even hard to imagine the shape and pathology through the viewing of 2D axial slices.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for an interactive atlas from volume data.